Top 5 weight watchers apps this Raya

20 August 2012 – We got ourselves a few weight watchers application that will help you track those Raya cookies and treats you’ll gorge down, which you can then burn it off with a few pedometers. So whether you are celebrating Raya over the course of four days or for a full month, these five apps will help you get through Raya guilt-free, and might even save you a trip to the big tall section.

Zombies! Run

We covered this augmented reality pedometer a while ago, but it is still an amazingly fun app to run to. With a pair of headphones, Zombies! Run tells a tale of a zombie apocalypse and uses voice actors to narrate the story.

Your phone's GPS to detect how long, how fast and how far you've ran. Your goal? Run away from the zombies to reach safety and collect supplies. You then use those supplies to reinforce your base.

The app uses zombie hordes to push you to run even faster and indeed you feel a sense of urgency when zombies are moaning right in your ears. The game has a steep learning curve – missions lasts 30-40 minutes, but you can opt to pause missions if you are too tired to continue.

If motivating yourself during Raya is tough, why not pick up this app on iOS and Android platforms for $7.99.

My Fitness Pal Calorie Counter

The Calorie Counter is a comprehensive app for those folks who want to track their daily calorie intake and aim to lose weight at their own pace. The app measure your calories needs and the amount of exercise you need to do or the amount of food you need to cut down on. When we say comprehensive we mean it - we managed to find 'Nasi Lemak' inside the calorie list along with many more local delicacies.

You can choose how much weight you want to lose and how long you want to achieve that goal. For example, the app allowed me to lose four kilograms, at half a pound a day, which means I can set my own pace without pressure.

So whether or not you are a fitness junkie or a couch potato looking to cut down on the Raya pounds, give this app a test run, it is available free on iOS and Android.

Fast Food Calories Lookup

If you are bringing the family out for a Raya fast food treat, this simple and easy to use app looks up our favourite international fast food franchise, and lists down calories for every piece of fast food they serve.

With 140 restaurants on the list, the app has the caloric count just about every fast food meal out there. However, the app could have benefited from a calculator that tallies up the amount of calories we’ve gotten from a Big Mac and a large Coke. Don’t expect menus from local restaurants or your local Ramly burger stand either.

FFCL has a Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Calorie Consumption Calculator, so you’ll know how many drumsticks you can eat before you go overboard on your daily calorie count. The app is free and is available from both the App Store and Android.

EndoMondo

If Facebook is not social enough for you this Raya, why not workout with your friends too. EndoMondo connects you and friends together in for a social experience, like social networks out there you can check on their latest workout updates no matter where you are (provided you have wireless connectivity).

And as a pedometer, it has a simple layout that allows you to choose the relevant information to track including the type of sports you are playing, how long you’ve been playing, the distance you’ve ran and the calories you’ve burned, all via GPS.

Feeling competitive? Well the app tracks your friends’ routes and others who are on EndoMondo as well so all you have to do is fire up the app see who’s done a route nearby and starting competing. EndoMondo is free on iOS and Android.

CardioTrainer

Android users, tap on your Google Play store to download CardioTrainer for free. It is a simple, straight to the point pedometer that maps your workouts using GPS.

The Trainer automatically uploads your workouts online, plot various statistic of your workouts and comes an integrated calorie calculator. It includes a voice coach that tells you the time you’ve ran, the distance you’ve covered, and calories burned.

And at the end each session, the app will break down visually how much food you’ve burned. In our case, it was 42 calories or 10 cherries. Hopefully someone much fitter than me can figure out the reward for burning more calories.